I recently conducted a survey of teachers to find out what they enjoyed the most about teaching. The results were not surprising, but for those who are considering becoming a teacher or trying to remember why you became a teacher in the first place, here are the top two reasons the teachers in my survey enjoy teaching!
Seeing a Child Finally Understand a New Concept:
One teacher had trouble putting it into words and yet described it so well: “The light bulb! That pride you feel when you know that your kids finally get it! Or that one child that could not get it before, when he or she finally does. That’s the best part.”
Another teacher put it like this: “The kids faces when they light up from that AHA! moment is sweet bliss. I love to hear them say, “Oh, I get it!” or “This is so easy now!” or even, “I love this math!” 
That one bright smile makes it all seem worth it.”
Making a Difference in the Life of a Child:
Another common theme among the responses I received for what was the best part of being a teacher, was the knowledge that they were making a difference. This one is interesting to me, because there is no measure by which these teachers decided whether they were making a difference in the life of a child. Instead, it was just the knowledge that they were making a difference that made teaching worth while.
Does teaching provide proof of making a difference in the life of a child? Or does the knowledge that a good teacher can touch the life of a child provide incentive enough for you?
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!Related posts:
